sailsmen
11-15-2013, 09:35 PM
State Capitol Raceway Test-n-Tune
“Didn’t you use to run at No Problem?”
I have been watching the weather for the October coolness. Not having seen the October coolness I decided to go ahead to Test-n-Tune at State Capitol Raceway in Port Allen, LA early Sunday morning to make the gate opening for 10:00am.
I drive for an hour and a half in full street trim, the same as I drove her off the lot new. The only prep at the track is to let the air out the rear tires.
There is a lot of water on the facility from a thunderstorm that came down at 1:00am. They are drying the track. I walk the launch area to find the grove and there is none. I notice the left side looks better then the right. I make note of where the water box is.
I sit in the grand stands and a young man ask me if I still race that Marauder that he used to see me race at No Problem. I say yep I do and I will make some passes in her today. He asked what I will run and I reply based on the heat around 12.0.
He has a Honda S2000 sports convertible that he is putting a Chevy V-8 in. An hour has passed and the track is now dry, the temp is also 80*!
I drive around the water box, back up into it and wait for the track officials signal to do my burn out. He signals and pull up slightly out of the water box, jam on the brake and stab the throttle until I see smoke out of both rear wheel wells. I then ease up to the starting line.
There is an issue with the trailer pick up that lined up next to me. I allow this to distract me resulting in a slow reaction time of .612 to his .027. I also spin a little resulting in a 60’ time of 1.904 to his 1.368. He shuts it down at the 330’ mark. I finish with a 12.290 @ 115.00 mph.
This next run I will focus on my reaction time. I am now lined up against a trailer Camaro. I stage on the starting line and focus on the third light on the tree. I am in the ZONE.
My reaction time is .035 to his .223, my 60’ is another 1.904 due to some spin to his 1.452. Something is not right so I scan my gauges. The vacuum is reading zero. I let up and coast across the finish. He crosses first 10.184 @ 132.04 mph to my 12.467 @ 112.62 mph.
I don’t hear anything and there is no fluid gushing out. I stop in the pitts and look under the hood. My Meth vacuum activation line came off. It is a tapered fitting and the hose wallowed out. I tape the hose back on to make another run.
While in the pitts a guy parks his pick up next to me and asks, “Hey didn’t you use to run at No Problem?”.
It is now 90*. I line up against a red Chevy 1977 Pick Up. I focus on the third light on the tree. My reaction time is .067 to his .229, I am ahead by .162! My 60’ is 1.864 to his 1.687, he is ahead by .015. We reach the 1/8 mile and he has stretched out to .03 ahead! I finish 12.313 @ 114.30 mph to his 12.111 @ 112.21 mph. He wins by .0402. He has a big block and nitrous.
Too hot so I head home. I stop at a gas station 5 miles away and go inside to get a drink. A guy walks up to me and asks “didn’t you use to run a Marauder at No Problem?”.
No Problem is about 45 miles from State Capitol. I must have entered the “No Problem Zone”.
Ford vs Chevy
Billed as 100 Fords vs 100 Chevys. Held in Gulfport, MS by the Ford Performance Association.
I drive for an hour in full street trim, the same as I drove her off the lot new. The only prep at the track is to let the air out the rear tires.
It is a beautiful day and a great one hour drive to Gulfport. There is a line of cars to get into the track.
All of the paved pitts are taken so I find a spot on some hard grass at an intersection with the return lane. I walk over to the launch area to get my bearings on the water box and look for the groove. It is 75* and heating up fast.
I line up next to a blue late model Mustang. My reaction time is .0698 to his .0419. He is ahead by .0289. I spin out with a 60’ of 2.0055 to his 1.8689. At the 1/8 mile I am nosing ahead. I finish .2671 ahead with a 12.422 @ 114.59 mph.
Back to the grass pitts. A guy in a 5.4L Fox Body Mustang with a 4 speed pitts next to me. This is his first time at the track. He spun bad at launch with his MT DR IIs. The first thing I tell him is to lower the pressure from 25psi to 16 psi and lower the RPM of his launch.
3.5 hours have passed. I line up next to a new black Camaro. My reaction time is .1552 to his .3842. My 60’ is 1.9230, some spin, to his 2.1496. I finish .9386 ahead 12.2585 @ 113.81 to his 12.9681 @ 107.68. The Marauder beat him down good!
I have no desire to wait around another 3.5 hours so I head home.
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/MM_54Mustang.jpg
Twin 5K
I decide to go ahead to the Twin 5K at State Capitol Raceway in Port Allen, LA. I drive for an hour and a half in full street trim, the same as I drove her off the lot new. The only prep at the track is to let the air out the rear tires. It is a gorgeous day and the traffic is light.
I walk the launch area to find the grove and there is one in each lane. I make note of where the water box is. I watch some of the cars launch. It is 74*.
I line up next to a new gray ZL1 Camaro. I make sure I see smoke from both fender wells. I am focused on the third yellow light and in the zone.
My reaction time is .019 to his .077. I am ahead by .058! My 60’ is 1.825 to his 1.906. My 330’ is 5.116 to his 5.203. I am inching ahead. He is now inching up to me. I am yelling come on, come on to the finish line! I finish .12 ahead, 12.159 @ 116.79 mph to his 12.221 @ 113.79.
I pull in to the pitts. I am next to a gorgeous black 1957 Corvette with a parachute on the right side and a 1976 Vega with ghost flames and a parachute on the left. The Corvette has a large pitt crew of twenty some thing year olds.
I am sitting in the Marauder watching the cars go down the return lane when one of the Corvette pitts crewman sticks his hand through the passenger side to congratulate me on “whopping that ZL1”. I asked what was that thing again? He says a ZL1 Camaro!!! I pull out my pen and notepad and ask how do you spell that I want to get it right? He says Z-----L-----1!
Next up is a Mustang with a Saleen S/C kit. My reaction time was .227 to his .151, he has the jump on me. My 60’ is 1.806 to his 1.667. He is pulling on me. I cross 11.803 @ 118.74 mph and bust out of my dial in of 11.85.
Time to head home for another day.
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/MM_25K_Race_SCR11413.jpg
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/MMVega.jpg
“Didn’t you use to run at No Problem?”
I have been watching the weather for the October coolness. Not having seen the October coolness I decided to go ahead to Test-n-Tune at State Capitol Raceway in Port Allen, LA early Sunday morning to make the gate opening for 10:00am.
I drive for an hour and a half in full street trim, the same as I drove her off the lot new. The only prep at the track is to let the air out the rear tires.
There is a lot of water on the facility from a thunderstorm that came down at 1:00am. They are drying the track. I walk the launch area to find the grove and there is none. I notice the left side looks better then the right. I make note of where the water box is.
I sit in the grand stands and a young man ask me if I still race that Marauder that he used to see me race at No Problem. I say yep I do and I will make some passes in her today. He asked what I will run and I reply based on the heat around 12.0.
He has a Honda S2000 sports convertible that he is putting a Chevy V-8 in. An hour has passed and the track is now dry, the temp is also 80*!
I drive around the water box, back up into it and wait for the track officials signal to do my burn out. He signals and pull up slightly out of the water box, jam on the brake and stab the throttle until I see smoke out of both rear wheel wells. I then ease up to the starting line.
There is an issue with the trailer pick up that lined up next to me. I allow this to distract me resulting in a slow reaction time of .612 to his .027. I also spin a little resulting in a 60’ time of 1.904 to his 1.368. He shuts it down at the 330’ mark. I finish with a 12.290 @ 115.00 mph.
This next run I will focus on my reaction time. I am now lined up against a trailer Camaro. I stage on the starting line and focus on the third light on the tree. I am in the ZONE.
My reaction time is .035 to his .223, my 60’ is another 1.904 due to some spin to his 1.452. Something is not right so I scan my gauges. The vacuum is reading zero. I let up and coast across the finish. He crosses first 10.184 @ 132.04 mph to my 12.467 @ 112.62 mph.
I don’t hear anything and there is no fluid gushing out. I stop in the pitts and look under the hood. My Meth vacuum activation line came off. It is a tapered fitting and the hose wallowed out. I tape the hose back on to make another run.
While in the pitts a guy parks his pick up next to me and asks, “Hey didn’t you use to run at No Problem?”.
It is now 90*. I line up against a red Chevy 1977 Pick Up. I focus on the third light on the tree. My reaction time is .067 to his .229, I am ahead by .162! My 60’ is 1.864 to his 1.687, he is ahead by .015. We reach the 1/8 mile and he has stretched out to .03 ahead! I finish 12.313 @ 114.30 mph to his 12.111 @ 112.21 mph. He wins by .0402. He has a big block and nitrous.
Too hot so I head home. I stop at a gas station 5 miles away and go inside to get a drink. A guy walks up to me and asks “didn’t you use to run a Marauder at No Problem?”.
No Problem is about 45 miles from State Capitol. I must have entered the “No Problem Zone”.
Ford vs Chevy
Billed as 100 Fords vs 100 Chevys. Held in Gulfport, MS by the Ford Performance Association.
I drive for an hour in full street trim, the same as I drove her off the lot new. The only prep at the track is to let the air out the rear tires.
It is a beautiful day and a great one hour drive to Gulfport. There is a line of cars to get into the track.
All of the paved pitts are taken so I find a spot on some hard grass at an intersection with the return lane. I walk over to the launch area to get my bearings on the water box and look for the groove. It is 75* and heating up fast.
I line up next to a blue late model Mustang. My reaction time is .0698 to his .0419. He is ahead by .0289. I spin out with a 60’ of 2.0055 to his 1.8689. At the 1/8 mile I am nosing ahead. I finish .2671 ahead with a 12.422 @ 114.59 mph.
Back to the grass pitts. A guy in a 5.4L Fox Body Mustang with a 4 speed pitts next to me. This is his first time at the track. He spun bad at launch with his MT DR IIs. The first thing I tell him is to lower the pressure from 25psi to 16 psi and lower the RPM of his launch.
3.5 hours have passed. I line up next to a new black Camaro. My reaction time is .1552 to his .3842. My 60’ is 1.9230, some spin, to his 2.1496. I finish .9386 ahead 12.2585 @ 113.81 to his 12.9681 @ 107.68. The Marauder beat him down good!
I have no desire to wait around another 3.5 hours so I head home.
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/MM_54Mustang.jpg
Twin 5K
I decide to go ahead to the Twin 5K at State Capitol Raceway in Port Allen, LA. I drive for an hour and a half in full street trim, the same as I drove her off the lot new. The only prep at the track is to let the air out the rear tires. It is a gorgeous day and the traffic is light.
I walk the launch area to find the grove and there is one in each lane. I make note of where the water box is. I watch some of the cars launch. It is 74*.
I line up next to a new gray ZL1 Camaro. I make sure I see smoke from both fender wells. I am focused on the third yellow light and in the zone.
My reaction time is .019 to his .077. I am ahead by .058! My 60’ is 1.825 to his 1.906. My 330’ is 5.116 to his 5.203. I am inching ahead. He is now inching up to me. I am yelling come on, come on to the finish line! I finish .12 ahead, 12.159 @ 116.79 mph to his 12.221 @ 113.79.
I pull in to the pitts. I am next to a gorgeous black 1957 Corvette with a parachute on the right side and a 1976 Vega with ghost flames and a parachute on the left. The Corvette has a large pitt crew of twenty some thing year olds.
I am sitting in the Marauder watching the cars go down the return lane when one of the Corvette pitts crewman sticks his hand through the passenger side to congratulate me on “whopping that ZL1”. I asked what was that thing again? He says a ZL1 Camaro!!! I pull out my pen and notepad and ask how do you spell that I want to get it right? He says Z-----L-----1!
Next up is a Mustang with a Saleen S/C kit. My reaction time was .227 to his .151, he has the jump on me. My 60’ is 1.806 to his 1.667. He is pulling on me. I cross 11.803 @ 118.74 mph and bust out of my dial in of 11.85.
Time to head home for another day.
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/MM_25K_Race_SCR11413.jpg
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/MMVega.jpg